Aqueous suspension polymerization process of compositions containing styrene in the presence of rosin acid derivatives and their salts and expandable or non expandable polystyrene obtained

ABSTRACT

The polymerization of compositions containing styrene by an aqueous suspension process in which is used a suspending agents system constituted by a mineral agent and, an extending agent which is at least a rosin acid derivative (abietic acid, neoabietic acid, dextropimaric acid) or their salts of a metal belonging to Group IIa of the Periodic Classification of elements. The use of this extending agent has the advantage to ameliorate the surface aspect of moulded articles obtained from expanded polymer pearls prepared with the above polymerization process.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 097,180, filed Sept. 16, 1987.

The present application relates to an aqueous suspension polymerization process of compositions containing styrene in the presence of rosin acid derivatives and their salts and to expandable or not expandable styren obtained.

In the present application for the purpose of convenience compositions containing styrene will mean homopolymers derived from vinyl aromatic monomers including styrene, alpha-methyl-styrene, isopropylstyrene, ethylvinylbenzene, vinyl toluene, vinyl xylene, chloro-and bromostyrene, as well as copolymers of the above vinylaromatic monomers with copolymerizable monomers such as, for example, acrylonitriles, alkyl acrylates or methacrylates in which the alkyl group contains 1 to 10 atoms wherein the monovinyl aromatic monomer is present in at least 50% by weight and/or a reticulating monomer such as divinylbenzene in low amount not exceeding 5% by weight.

Polymerization of styrene in aqueous suspension is well known. It is performed in the presence of a suspending agent system for styrene which can be either an organic agent such as polyvinylic alcohol, hydroxyethylcellulose, polyvinylpyrirolidone or an inorganic suspending agent such as tricalcium phosphate, bentonite, talcum in combination with an extending agent. According to a generally aknowledged theory the inorganic agent acts as a barrier around the droplets of styren and avoids their coalescence. But the inorganic suspending agent is hydrophilic and tends to remain scattered in suspension water. The function of the extending agent is to attract inorganic agent particles around the droplets of styrene.

The applicant has found that rosin acid derivatives and their salts of Group IIa of the Periodic Classification act as extending agents.

A first object of the present application is a process for the polymerization of compositions containing styrene in which an aqueous suspension of styrene is prepared in the presence of a suspending agent system comprising a mineral agent and an extending agent, the suspension is polymerised and the particles obtained are separated, dried and classified caracterized in that the extending agent is at least a component selected in the group consisting of rosin acid derivatives and their salts of metals belonging to Group IIa of Periodic Classification of Elements.

The main rosin acid derivatives are abietic, neoabietic and dextropimaric acid having the following formula: ##STR1## and/or oligomers of these acids.

The following mixtures of rosin acid derivatives containing oligomers can be used.

monomers: about 70 to 80% by weight

dimers: about 10 to 30% by weight

trimers: about 1%

Mixtures of rosin acid derivatives, at least partially salified can also contain compounds resulting from bridging or association due to the fact that salts of metals of Group IIa of Periodic Classification are divalent.

The salts of rosin acid derivatives are more particularly magnesium salts and even more particularly calcium salts.

The amount of extending agent added ranges between 1 and 5000 ppm, more particularly between 10 and 1000 ppm relative to styrene polymer. It must be noted that rosin acid derivatives and their salts have no extending action for quantity higher than 5000 ppm.

According to the present invention the extending agent is introduced before the end of polymerization. It can be introduced with the reactives, or during polymerization before the rate of polymerization exceeds 80%, preferably 50%. It can be added with inorganic suspending agent or after, in one or several successive doses.

Polymerization can be performed as already known, in the presence free radical initiators such as organic perioxides (benzoyl peroxide or t-butyl perbenzoate) or in the presence of azo bis isobutyronitrile.

It is known also to manufacture polystyren beads by an aqueous suspension polymerization process.

In that case a liquid or gaseous blowing agent is introduced into the reactive mixture during polymerization or at the end of polymerization.

The following blowing agents can be more particularly quoted: aliphatic hydrocarbons containing 1 to 10 carbon/atoms in the moleule, for example propane, butane, pentane, hexane, cyclohexane or their mixtures such as petroleum ether; and halogenated alihatic hydrocarbons which boil at a temperature below the softening point of the polymer. The above blowing agents or their mixtures are introduced in the expandable polystyrene in amount ranging between 3 and 20% by weight relative to polystyrene.

The expandable polymer obtained is preexpanded in an opened or closed reactor by means of steam until it reaches the desired bulk density.

Conventionally expandable polystyrene particles are surface treated between polymerization and preexpansion with a stearate for example in order to avoid clogging and facilitate preexpansion. Then the preexpanded particles are fed into a mould (not gas tight) at a temperature lower than the boiling temperature of blowing agent until a low density article is obtained. Up to now the extending agent used led to expanded articles having a low cellularity. But there is a drawback: the moulded articles have a bad surface aspect. This is an inconvenience when the surface aspect is important as for example in offering package.

The applicant has also found that the addition of rosin acid derivatives or of their salts of metal of Group IIa of the Periodic Classification notably improved the surface aspect of moulded articles of expanded polystyrene.

It must be noted that then rosin acid derivatives and their salts act both as extending agent and aspect surface agent.

It seems that the good surface aspect is due to the presence at the surface of a great number of big splitted cells. Thus the brightness of moulded articles is reduced and the defects of surface are masked to visual observation. Furthermore it must be noted that cellularity in the heart of the article and near the surface are about the same.

The mean diameter of the particles obtained by aqueous suspension polymerization of styrene is generally ranging between 0.1 an 5 mm, preferably between 0.2 and 3 mm for expandable polystyrene.

The present invention has also for object thermoplastic compositions made out of expandable or not expandable polymers of compositions containing styren containing 1 to 5000 ppm, preferably 10 to 1000 ppm relative to the total weight of the composition of at least one substance selected in the group consisting of rosin acid derivatives and their salts of metals belonging to Group IIa of the Periodic Classification of Elements.

Polymeric compositions of the present invention may contain other additives such as flame retardants, fire proofing agents, organic or inorganic fillers, dyes proofing agents, organic or inorganic fillers, dyes, pigments, antistatic agents, plastifying agents.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples.

EXAMPLES 1 (comparative)

To a stirred polymerization reactor having a capacity of 5001 there was charged:

200 kg of demineralized water

200 kg of styrene

5.80 g of benzoyl peroxyde with 75% of active substance

200 g of tertiobutyl benzoate

The mixture is stirred and the suspension obtained is heated up to 90° C. and the latter temperature is maintained for 1 hour.

440 g of tricalcium phosphate are added and the temperature is further maintained. Two hours and a half later there is no more suspension. Organic phase is decanted and no polymer pearls are formed.

EXAMPLE 2

The procedure of example 1 is repeated except at the 440 g of tricalcium phosphate are introduced in two amounts and that after 20 g, as a 20% solution in styren, of a mixture of rosin acid derivatives and of their calcium salts commercialized by DSM with trade mark URAPRINT 62126 are added.

5 hours later the reaction is automatically closed and 8% relative to polymer weight of pentane are added. The temperature is raised up to 130° C. and maintained at this temperature for one hour. The reactor is then cooled down to 30° C. The expandable polymer pearls are dried and classified to obtain a product ranging between 0.8 and 1.3 mm. The classified product is store for 5 days, and is preexpanded to a bulk density of about 20 g/l in a steam reactor. Then boxes are moulded and evaluated.

EXAMPLE 3

The procedure of examples 2 is repeated except that 6 ppm relatives to the weight of reactive mixture of a solution of potassium sulfate at 10 g/l are added. The measured brightness, results of observation of cliche obtained by sweep microscopy (HEB) on a thin plate of polystyrene and visual observation are listed in the table given herebelow.

                  TABLE                                                            ______________________________________                                         Expended polymer                                                                              Cellularity                                                     ______________________________________                                                        at heart  near the surface                                      Example 2        250μ 210μ                                               Example 3      140-190μ                                                                              100μ                                                              brightness                                                                               visual observation                                    Example 2      7,7       good surface aspect                                   Example 3      8,4       bad surface aspect                                    ______________________________________                                          *the brightness was measured by reflectometry under an angle of incidence      of 60° with a GARDNER reflectometer according to ASTMD-523.        

I claim:
 1. An expandable thermoplastic composition comprising: (i) particles of polymers containing styrene, (ii) a blowing agent, and (iii) 1 to 5000 ppm relative to the total weight of the thermoplastic composition of at least one substance selected from rosin acid derivatives and their salts of metals belonging to Group IIa of the Periodic Classification of Elements, said substance being incorporated into the polymer particles before the end of the polymerization of the styrene.
 2. The thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the amount of rosin acid derivative and their salts is within the range of 10 to 1000 ppm relative to the total weight of the composition.
 3. The termoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the substance is incorporated into the polymer particles before the polymerization of styrene reaches 80%.
 4. The thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the substance is incorporated into the polymer particles before the polymerization of styrene reaches 50%.
 5. The thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the salt of the rosin acid derivative is selected from the group consisting of magnesium salts and calcium salts.
 6. The thermoplastic composition of claim 1, further comprising a free radical initiator.
 7. The thermoplastic composition of claim 1, further comprising an inorganic suspending agent.
 8. The thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the blowing agent is present in an amount within the range of 3% to 20% by weight relative to the styrene.
 9. The thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the particles have a mean diameter in the range of 0.1 to 5 mm.
 10. The thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the particles have a mean diameter in the range of 0.2 to 3 mm.
 11. A molded article made from the thermoplastic composition of claim
 1. 